Slavey's Bond
by UrchinofAlbion
Summary: After a few years away from Oban, Earth is caught in an integalactic war. Eva is enslaved by the Nousarians and under the new name of Ashlynn brought to the palace, and that's only the beginning!
1. prologue: life as we knew it

One month after the race of Oban, earth made an alliance with the Nouraisans at the request of Don Wie. Every thing went back to the way it had been before the race happened, but in 2084, (1 year after the race) earth's calm peace came to a sudden end. The Larkens, a race of shape shifters, attacked earth and we, not ready to fight, were taken prisoner.

Our allies were attacked with a much greater force ,but we were trapped in our own galaxy unable to save those we had befriended. After one year of struggle, we broke free of our captors and sent help to our allies only to be turned away by the Nouraisans them selves.

Reports of their condition disturbed us. According to news, the king and queen killed in the battle and Aikka, one of my few remaining friends, put on the throne. Two years after that our once allies turned against us. They attacked with full force. Though we miraculously survived, we were defeated nonetheless. Our planet fell to pieces. Our government collapsed and our energy lost, We reverted to our primitive state. We formed tribes and fought. The group I belong to includes a few people who still hold dearly to life before the invasion. We include Stan, Koji, my father, Rick, and a few others.

The others have lost hope that the earth can ever go back to the way it once was. People disappear daily killed in fights or captured by Nouraisans, but I Eva Wie think since we can still fly there's hope. I refuse to believe it's the end of the world.


	2. Chapter 1: Captured

Eva's P.O.V.

The sky was a bleak, blue brown as the sun set. I was walking back to the small house that our group used as a base and home. Farther away, I heard another fight between tribes break out again. I walked faster hoping I would not be caught up in it and that I would be home before dark. The streets were the most dangerous place you could be. I looked down at my purse which contained the plastic bag which was the reason I was out this late. Then I heard the fight but closer. I looked behind me a bunch of people rounded the corner while fighting. I ran hoping that there was still a chance I wouldn't be caught up in the fight. I slid on the wet pavement. I was about to get up when I felt something hit me in the back of the head shoving my face back into the pavement.

* * *

I woke up in a small room with a dozen or so other humans. All of us wore the chain shackles and collars of slaves. A Nouraisans guard entered the room fallowed by a dozen or so other guards all holding bowls of watery oatmeal. Most of the people around me scrambled to get to the food. I stayed in my corner not hungry and wondered how exactly I got myself into this situation.

"Well now little mouse don't you want any food?" a voice above me asked. Opened my eyes to see one of the guards holding bowl of the oatmeal stuff out to me. "You may as well eat." he said kindly

"Not hungry." I said bluntly he set the bowl in front of me and sat down, leaning against the wall next to me.

"How old are you?"

"Sixteen" he nodded his face emotionless

"Your name?"

"A-Ashlynn?" I blurted suddenly. The guard nodded not noticing my confusion.

"My name is Kaija" I didn't answer "Are you enjoying your stay?" he asked I snorted

"Oh very much" I laughed. He grinned, reminding me of Aikka. My blood went cold.

"So what will you do with us?" I asked,

"You'll be auctioned off…" I had guessed as much.

"Kija!" an older guard stood in front of us "Stop flirting with the slave!" Kija gave me an apologetic look but I kept my face emotionless as both guards walked off. I took a bite of the oatmeal stuff. I ate it all, while praying my owner would be a decent person.


	3. chapter 2: slavesold

A/N sorry if this took too long, I'm a notorious procrastinator. Anyway here's the chapter enjoy.

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The next morning dawned early for the slaves since the auction would take place that morning. Eva and the other humans were shoved out of their pen and into another room that was joined with a third room that was currently filled with Nouraisans. One by one, the slaves were herded onto the platform in the next room to be auctioned off to the waiting people (?) Nouraisans). Finally, Kija brought up Eva onto the sage.

"Right! Here we have a good strong and young little maid fresh caught out of Japan." boomed the spokes person. Ashlynn scowled out at the crowd trying to showthat she might cause trouble. "And look at that she's a feisty one. Won't need to worry 'bout her. Good and strong so do I hear 300 raistions!" (Nouraisan money, lets just pretend cuz I have no idea) Eva didn't listen to the rest and didn't really care in the first place. Next thing she knew she was being shoved over to another guard who stood in the center of the room. He grabbed her arm as soon as she reached him and they slowly pushed through the crowded room and out the door on to the road.

It was great deal colder out on the road in fact it was snowing lightly. After walking for a while, the guard turned back to her and said, "You'll be working at the palace as errand runner and maid. If any noble asks you to do something, you do it." all of this he said rather nastily in a way Eva would never have thought capable of a Nouraisan. He yanked her arm sharply and let in go. He increased the pace as the ground slowly began to slope upward. At the top of the rise stood the palace the guard had spoken of. It was pure white with several tall turrets piercing the sky. From the highest of which was a flag with a red standard on a white backdrop. Eva marveled at the sight of the great palace as she ran after the guard. They came to the wall that encircled the palace and entered a small door at the base of the guard tower and on to another door in the wall of the palace that led directly in to a kitchen where the guard stopped and motioned to boy in an apron.

He whispered to the boy and the boy nodded and ran off. A few minutes he returned with a large human woman who must have been the head chef. She looked at the guard and boomed

"Well?" the guard gave an annoyed look to the woman and sighed,

" Here's the new slave." The woman looked down at Eva then back at the guard "And?"

"And what?" the guard looked confused and annoyed.

"Where's the change and her things?" the woman boomed again. The guard groaned and dug through the bag at his back and brought out the purse that Eva had been carrying when she had been captured and a small pouch full of what was probably the change that had been left over from the purchase. The woman snatched them from the guard. Then she barked at him "scat!" in her accent. Her face softened as the turned to Eva who had been a little startled by the whole incident. The woman looked at her with kind, knowing eyes.

"Poor dear," she crooned to Eva "they caught you right off the street didn't they." Eva looked up at the woman in front of her. "where are you from little mouse?" Eva shivered at her old nickname. The woman didn't seem to notice

"I'm from Tokyo." eva answered "What about you?" she ventured. The cook laughed

"I'm Earie. I come from Oban, Scotland." Eva laughed shakily from the irony. "I'm the head chief here at the palace" Earie continued

"But you're not a slave." eva interrupted. Earie looked at the girl then laughed "I've been here a while lass they trust me. In fact, the king is quite a trusting lad. Unless you give reason to show you're a spy you're all right."

"That's Aikka for you." Eva whispered

"What's that lass?"

"Oh no-nothing." Eva stuttered

"So lass I never learned your name it was?"

"E-Ashlynn. Ashlynn."

"Alright Ashlynn I will show you your jobs. Marco watch the kitchen for me!" Earie yelled to a boy.

Then she led Eva out of the room down the hall. At the end of the hall were two doors. Earie took the door to the left explaining to the right was the palace where the royal family lived. Past the door, there was a small room with two more doors branching off it. This time Earie took the door to the right. The door to the left was the man's living apartments where women generally didn't go unless well, they wanted to.

Doors led off the main hall in all directions "two women per room" Earie said in her gruff accent she went to a room at the end of the hall and turned to Eva with an apologetic look on her face.

"Right now, we have no rooms available so we will have to make do. This used to be a storage room and it's still filled with lots of furniture." Then she lowered her voice and whispered in Eva's ear "But there is more room in there and there's a window, but don't tell the girls that ,they'll have a fit." Earie winked and opened the door. Some steps lay behind it and Earie and Eva descended in the darkness. She handed Eva the candle she held "I'll go get you some bedding" and Earie quickly climbed the stairs again.

Eva walked around the room to the wall in the back. She put her hand out but where she had expected cold stone, she found cloth. She pulled it aside and was shortly blinded by the light that streamed through it. The window was taller then her and almost as wide. She pulled the curtain away to flood the room with light. She blew out the candle and surveyed the room that most certainly was full of stuff. There were a few tables and various other pieces of furniture, but if she pushed them into the corners, she could easily make enough room for her bed.

She placed the candle on a table and had begun to move furniture as Earie came down the stairs holding bedding, an oil lamp, and some blankets. She set them on the floor and turned to Eva. "Right," she said "I'll leave these here for you and we'll get you your uniform and start you on your chores."

Earie walked up the stairs with Eva trailing after her. Earie took Eva into another room filled with cabinets. She looked at Eva hard and pulled open one of the cabinet, which was full of cloths. Out of it Earie pulled a white long sleeved shirt and a long crimson dress. Eva swore and Earie turned to her in surprise.

"What's the matter?" she asked Eva. Eva played with the hem of her shirt.

"Well, its just that I don't like wearing dresses or skirts for that matter." Eva mumbled. Earie looked at her and laughed

"I see. That's not to hard to fix ." Earie said and patted Eva's head. She bustled over to another cabinet and pulled out a rather ragged crimson vest and some equality ragged black pants and handed them to Eva saying, "This is your uniform you'll have to wash it your self. Now, once you put these on we'll give you some work." As Eva stepped behind a curtain and put on her uniform Earie asked her questions like "Can you cook?" and "What are you best at cleaning wise I mean?"

When Eva finished changing Earie led her through the palace and through so many doors Eva was sure to get lost if she hadn't been with Earie. Finally the arrived in a large room where one girl seemed to be washing cloths in a large tub. Earie called the girl over and introduced her to Eva.

The girl's name was Chaula. She looked to be of native American decent with tan skin and straight black hair that fell to her waist. Her eyes were coal back and large. her lips turned up at the edges leaving her with a permanent pleased look. Her voice was high pitched and held a touch of excitement as she introduced her self. Chaula was 13 and didn't really care that she was a slave to the Nouraisans.

She probably would have told Eva her whole life story had Earie not told them to get to work. After helping to show Eva how to wash the cloths, Earie took her leave. "Where are you from?" Chaula instantly asked.

"Japan," answered Eva "and you?" Chaula grinned

"Thought so. I'm from the U.S. my home town is Binghamton, New York." Eva looked at the girl next to her.

"Hey, question," Eva said "how come we can understand each other?" Chaula grinned

"That's easy. the collars have a special translator in them so we can under stand each other. Very handy thing that." hours passed and more cloths were given to the girls to clean while the wet cloths were taken to be dried.

The light out the window slowly began to dim and candles were lit. finally a bell rung some where. Chaula pulled Eva up from the washtub and out the door.

"Where are we going?" asked Eva as she was pulled through the twisting halls "Dinner!" Chaula yelled over her shoulder. Chaula stopped quite suddenly after rushing into a room full of people. She dragged Eva into a line. As they waited Chaula talked non-stop, explaining to Eva that this was the dining room and that the slaves ate before the nobles had their supper so that they could wait on the nobles. Eva followed along mechanically while Chaula put food on both their plates then dragged Eva to a table near the end of the hall. The girl chattered animatedly with the other slaves, while Eva simply ignored them.

She wondered about this, why in the world would Aikka have human slaves? It had been something that nagged at her since the first reports of captures came in. He had been her only friend for so long on Oban. He seemed to respect the other cultures as well her own. He had been kind. What could have changed this? She sighed and picked at her food.

A bell rang again and the slaves dispersed and move toward the halls where they slept. Eva tiredly moved into her room and laid down on her pallet pulling the sheet over herself. Slowly she drifted to sleep watching the unfamiliar stars through the window.

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A pounding from the wall woke Eva from her dreamless sleep. She sat up and moved toward the noise. Bringing her toward the large window. Eva looked at the wall closely in the dim moonlight. She found the dull outline of a door in the wall. When it shuddered slightly when something pushed against it. Eva noticed that a large couch was in the way, and pushed it until it no longer blocked the door. Eva moved away and watched as the door opened and a dark figure poked its head into the room.

Evidentially, the figure saw her for it froze and turned, to run down the hallway behind the door. Eva startled fallowed the figure, who ran through twisting passages. The footfalls stopped and she could only hear her own blood rushing through her ears. She turned not sure where to good from here. Suddenly she could hear the thudding of heavy foot falls through the corridor. An arm wound its way around her waist and pulled against her, a second hand coming up to muffle the scream rising in her throat.

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A/N so who thinks they know who the mysterious figure is? Please review, any constructive criticism is appreciated.


	4. Chapter 3: forgotten

_A/N: sorry this took so long_, _I_ _would give you an excuse , but the only one I can think of at this point is : "I'm extremely lazy." :D sorry. Btw Firegirl 156 kudos to you. You're right about our mystery person. And to IchigoNekokun our dear avatar won't be making his appearance quite yet, sorry._

_As always I don't own oban star-racers, if I did I don't think it would have ended yet….._

Eva's heart thudded in her ears. The foot falls grew and she felt air rush past as though someone had run up the corridor. The hands that held her captive for the moment, slackened as the person let her go. Eva pushed out of the arms and turned to her would be kidnapper. Eyes glinted in the darkness, but she couldn't make out a face in the gloom. She was about to tell the person off for their actions when she was pulled down the corridor again, this time the figure holding tightly to her wrist. They sped down the twisting hall ways and in and out of patches of light. Finally Eva found herself back in the small room where she slept.

The moonlight still shone through the curtains illuminating the room. The figure turned to her, and finally she could make out a face. Aikka. The figure who she'd been casing was none other then the prince, now king, of Nourasia. He stood before her grinning. Softly she smiled. She'd missed her honorable friend over the last few years.

"Aikka!" she said happily. At this he frowned.

"Excuse me," he said in a puzzled voice, "I don't believe we've met." Eva stared at him in disbelief. 'Maybe he just can't see my face or something' she thought.

"It's me Aikka, Molly- I mean Eva!" she said waiting for a look of recognition to spread across his face. No such thing happened.

"I'm sorry I don't believe I've ever been acquainted with you." he murmured as though trying to place her face (_hey look I made a rhyme_) Eva felt sick. He didn't seem to remember her at all.

"Never mind." Eva dismissed his confusion, "just call me Ashlynn, your highness." the prince raised a humorous eyebrow.

"I thought you were Eva, or was it Molly?" he asked chuckling. Eva's heart sank a little and she shook her head.

"No Ashlynn, I guess." she confirmed. "May I ask why your highness was rushing through hidden passages in the dark?" Eva said adopting a formal tone.

"You may ask but I may not answer." the prince said darkly. Eva shivered inwardly, the prince wasn't someone you wanted angry at you. She shrugged, knowing he had always been very secretive, even with her. He glanced in her direction. Outwardly, Eva noticed, that though he was taller the prince still looked the same as he had during the race on Oban, but his eyes showed how much he'd aged during the past years. She stared into the deep depths of his eyes, and couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness for him.

Eve moved toward the pallet on which she slept and sat down. She watched the prince with interest. Why would he not remember her? She had been pretty sure that they had left each other on good terms after the race. The again, she chided herself; it could be that he never was my friend in the first place; he is a prince after all. The prince's voice broke her concentration "I was escaping." Eva looked up at him

"What?" she asked startled

"I was escaping, that's why I was running through the passages." Aikka said

"Escaping from what?" she prompted

"From my duties. "he said embarrassedly. Eva smiled he looked like a child caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"I see." she said "what duties would those be?" the prince grimaced.

"Paperwork mostly, a few rebel attacks, reviewing patrols." he said with distaste. Eva giggled. The prince eyed a look of mock annoyance on his face.

"Do you laugh at your master?" he asked quirking an eyebrow. Eva's amusement evaporated instantly. She frowned. The prince however didn't seem to notice. Aikka was stiff, head cocked to the side as if he were listening for something.

"They're back." he muttered.

"What, but I can't hear anything." Eva protested.

"Never mind that." he said smiling at her. "I must be going. My lady it was a pleasure, and an honor." Aikka bowed and walked swiftly toward the door. He opened it soundlessly and was gone. Eva stared after him open mouthed in surprise. Eva shook herself and lay down on the pallet, more depressed then she had been before.

_Sorry it was short, I ran out of ideas. I promise I'll do better next time. Reviews are encouraged, flames….not so much. Until then I'll be watching oban_

_-muffin_


	5. Chapter 4: Lost

_A/N: Okay I know I'm a terrible person and I haven't updated in….let's see…..TWO YEARS! WHAT! Okay I had excuses but seriously what is wrong with me? Alright so I'd try to explain, but really it's not worth it. So any way I'm sorry to anyone who's still hanging on with this because I'm a horrible person. I finally guilted myself into this by logging on for the first time in months and seeing the reviews and so here I am. Forgive me dear readers; I don't know what came over me. _

_Half of twin, for you and __Nightfall2525__, an__d __SuicuneLuver__ please, please don't hurt me._

_A/n (from back when I first wrote this) : I'm so sorry that I take forever with this. I could tell you I was doing stuff but that would be a lie and I like you people to much to lie to you, so here you go the next chapter, and yes I know, "BAD AIKKA!" any way._

_I don't own Oban star racers, and I don't know who does but they are some lucky people. _

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Life was monotonous for the slaves of the palace, especially so for Eva. As the newest of the slaves, she rarely got the chance to see anything but the servants' quarters and the kitchens. The increasingly icy weather outside didn't help either. More and more of the guards for the palace were finding reasons to loiter in the warm kitchens to tease the pretty maids and scorn the enslaved humans. The guard who had brought Eva to the palace seemed to have taken a certain liking to bothering Eva when she was doing her work. Her sharp tongue got her into more and more trouble with him until she found herself shoved out of the kitchen because she was of no use.

Chaula, stuck to her side however. Any criticism Eva sent at the bubbly slave bounced right off. In time Chaula introduced Eva to the rest of her band of friends. Roger was the first to meet Eva. He was a tall surly man, with overgrown black hair that flopped into his hard black eyes. Next was Sumomo, a small red haired girl from Japan, with a kind and shy nature. The last of the small group was Ren, a quiet, studious 17-year old boy. The small group was like a family and reminded Eva tremendously of the group that had shared her home back on earth.

As for Prince Aikka, Eva didn't see him again. It had been a month by her count since that first night in the palace and she hadn't seen the slightest trace of him. Not that that surprised her. Why, after all would a prince seek out a slave for conversation? Eva thought about this at night lying on her tiny cot in the open room. The curtains were drawn back and she was staring at the stars outside in wonder. They showed none of the constellations she knew, of course she was in a totally different place in space, but it was still strange and wonderful.

Just as she settled herself to go to sleep, the door that led out into the secret passage, opened. The quiet figure of who she assumed was Prince Aikka slipped in. Eva sat upright and watched him. Aikka drew back the hood of his cloak and smiled at her.

"Good evening, lady Ashlynn." he said kindly. Eva smiled at him as she sat up, slightly surprised he remembered her.

"Good evening your highness." she replied formal as ever. The prince nodded at her before moving to stand beside her. She looked up at him and noticed the smile on his face slip to a more serious expression.

"Pardon me, for disturbing your rest. The guards were more persistent tonight than usual." Aikka said with distaste. "I found it necessary to hide here for the time being." Eva nodded.

"That's fine, your highness."

"Aikka." he said cutting her off.

"What?"

"Call me Aikka" he said grinning down at her. Eva nodded again, slightly puzzled. Aikka sat down beside her and looked out at the stars thoughtfully. Eva watched him with growing interest. The prince noticed and turned to look at her smiling.

"Doubtless you are wondering why spending my time hiding in the servants quarters is preferable to princely duties." Aikka said boyishly. Eva hadn't been wondering anything of the sort. She could easily understand why he'd be here if "princely duties" was anything like her school work. Something about his eyes interested her though. Unlike the last time she'd seen him, the seemed more innocent and childish, and totally foreign to the Aikka she knew. She nodded entranced by this stranger.

"Ever since I was young I have had no freedom what so ever. In fact I don't think I've ever left the main land." he said thoughtfully. "My parents are very adamant that I focus on my studies, and that I learn to be a proper king, My father especially." Eva stared at him in a mix of horror and shock. What in the world was he talking about?

"Are you kidding me?" Eva cried astonished "What about the Great Race of Oban?" the prince looked extremely confused.

"The what?" Eva stared at him in the same shock.

"You have to remember that! At the very least." she said. She wanted to yell, she wanted to scream it all to him so he would remember something. "You competed in the Great Race of Oban, for Nourasia. You wanted to free Nourasia from the Crogs! You flew G'dar. The first time we raced each other it was to be a clean race, but Jordan shot at you, and you won that race! And another thing your parents died, about two years back, from what I heard."

The Prince looked at her in confused interest and cocked his head to the side. He looked totally confused by the intensity that Eva was exhibiting as she spoke harshly. The tension grew in the room, Eva with her fists clench staring at the Prince, and Aikka blinking owlishly totally lost. Finally the Prince began to chuckle.

"My dear lady Ashlynn, I must say you have the most impressive imagination I have ever come across," He said through his laughter. Eva's anger receded only to be replaced with confusion.

"You don't know anything about the Great Race, do you?" She asked in a small child-like voice. Aikka startled by the tone her voice took on turned to her.

"Should I know of it?" He asked quietly. Eva felt like crying, but instead she settled on staring at the stars.

* * *

_Okay it's not much….Mostly it's what I already had. I wish my return was more spectacular, but I have to march tomorrow, and well I've kinda lost my handle on this story. I know where it's going, but other than that…nothing. _

_But I swear I'll be back with a longer chapter sometime in the next week. On my honor!_

_Love and stuff,_

_The writer formally called muffin ;)_


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